High-speed rail would fail in new vote, poll finds

Field Poll

Ellen Huet, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published
4:00 am PST, Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Conceptual view of high speed rail over the Altamont Pass west of Tracy, Calif.
Ran on: 08-14-2011
Arguments against high-speed rail in California sound much like the arguments against the building of the Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930s.
Ran on: 08-14-2011
Arguments against high-speed rail in California sound much like the arguments against the building of the Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930s. less

Conceptual view of high speed rail over the Altamont Pass west of Tracy, Calif.
Ran on: 08-14-2011
Arguments against high-speed rail in California sound much like the arguments against the building of the ... more

Photo: Nc3d, Courtesy To The Chronicle

Photo: Nc3d, Courtesy To The Chronicle

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Conceptual view of high speed rail over the Altamont Pass west of Tracy, Calif.
Ran on: 08-14-2011
Arguments against high-speed rail in California sound much like the arguments against the building of the Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930s.
Ran on: 08-14-2011
Arguments against high-speed rail in California sound much like the arguments against the building of the Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930s. less

Conceptual view of high speed rail over the Altamont Pass west of Tracy, Calif.
Ran on: 08-14-2011
Arguments against high-speed rail in California sound much like the arguments against the building of the ... more

Photo: Nc3d, Courtesy To The Chronicle

High-speed rail would fail in new vote, poll finds

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About two-thirds of California voters would like a second chance to decide whether to sell $9 billion in bonds to help pay for the state's high-speed rail system - and most of them would reject the measure in a new election, according to a Field Poll released today.

The idea of putting the bond measure before voters next year was endorsed by 64 percent of poll respondents. And 59 percent said they would vote it down, while 31 percent said they still support the bond measure. Ten percent were undecided.

The poll follows recent announcements that the project, which aims to take travelers from San Francisco to Los Angeles in about 2 hours and 40 minutes, will cost more than expected and take longer to complete.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority said in early November that the project could cost $98.5 billion, more than double previous estimates. Officials also pushed the projected completion date from 2020 to 2033.

The voters' position on the project is a departure from November 2008, when the bond measure passed with 52.6 percent approval.

The new Field Poll finds support for another vote on the issue is strong regardless of voters' political affiliations and how they voted on the 2008 measure.

Among Republicans, 73 percent would vote against the train funding; 49 percent of Democrats would say no.

Poll results also show that some supporters of the 2008 measure have changed their minds. Of those who voted for the bond, 37 percent now say they would vote against it, and 10 percent are undecided.

Of those who voted against, 96 percent are still against it.

A rail authority spokeswoman declined to comment on the voter sentiment.

The rail authority's public outreach efforts may not have turned public opinion to its side, but high-speed rail remains a topic of high public awareness. The poll reports that 77 percent of respondents have heard of the project.

The authority recently acknowledged that it spent $7.2 million on public relations efforts last fiscal year, and an additional $2.6 million is budgeted for this year.

The poll's findings are based on a survey conducted in English and Spanish between Nov. 15 and 27 of a random sample of 515 registered California voters. The margin of error is 4.4 percentage points.